Field of the Invention
This disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus which performs cloud printing, a print system, a method for controlling an image forming apparatus, a method for controlling a print system, and a program.
Description of the Related Art
Cloud printing which is a technology that allows a user to print via a server on a cloud is widely used. Cloud printing allows a user to print on an image forming apparatus in an office, for example, from outside the office via the internet. For security reasons, a Firewall is generally installed between a LAN of the office and the Internet to block a connection of an apparatus on the side of the Internet to an apparatus on the side of the office.
In cloud printing, the image forming apparatus in the office connects with a cloud server, and the connection is kept as an always-on connection. When a print job is submitted, the cloud server notifies the image forming apparatus of the submission of the print job using the connection, and the image forming apparatus acquires the print job from the cloud server upon receipt of the notification, whereby printing from the apparatus on the side of the Internet becomes possible.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2015-54412 proposes a technology that operates in cloud printing by switching a mode in which an image forming apparatus receives a notification from a cloud server and acquires a job from the cloud server, and a mode in which the image forming apparatus acquires a job in accordance with a user operation without receiving a notification from the cloud server.
However, because two modes are switched in operation, the technology proposed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2015-54412 has issues. For example, in the mode in which the image forming apparatus acquires a job in accordance with a notification from the server, the job cannot be received unless a notification is received. In this regard, there are situations where no notification is transmitted from a server.
A situation where no notification is transmitted from a server is that, for example, the server does not satisfy notification conditions, such as a notification period. In a server which issues notifications at a constant period, no notification is issued until predetermined timing comes. Therefore, the image forming apparatus needs to wait for receiving a job until a notification is acquired.
A situation where no notification is transmitted from a server is that, for example, the server and the image forming apparatus cannot communicate temporarily. In the server which issues a notification to the image forming apparatus at timing at which a job is submitted from the client terminal, the notification cannot be normally completed with respect to the image forming apparatus which is powered off at this timing. Therefore, the image forming apparatus cannot receive a notification nor receive a job.
Another situation where no notification is transmitted from a server is that, for example, the notification is already completed. A situation where the notification is completed whereas printing is not completed may be created if the printing is interrupted due to, for example, powering-off of the image forming apparatus during downloading of the job after the notification is received from the server. In this situation, no more notification is issued because issuance of the notification is normally completed by the server. Therefore, the job cannot be received.
Then, an image forming apparatus capable of acquiring a print job in accordance with a notification from a server and also acquiring a print job upon request from the image forming apparatus is appropriate.
Especially when a print job is acquired upon request from the image forming apparatus, the print job is acquirable in accordance with a user operation. If a print job is received at timing not intended by a user and printing is started, the user may forget to take a printed matter.